JD's Lima Bean Challenge, An Experiment For All Food Groupies!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Before JD was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in December 2011, I used to add a little of my own dinner to his dinner bowl just about every night. A particular favorite was lima beans. He always knew when they were on the menu, and was even more eager for his dinner than usual those nights.

All that stopped after the IBD diagnosis, and it had been a long time since JD got lima beans in his dinner bowl. Not so much because there is any reason he couldn't have them, but I had just not been cooking them for myself much either since my family's schedules changed and family dinners are a rare occurrence here. And I had gotten out of the habit of giving JD some of whatever I was eating for dinner, since there is so little he's allowed to have. 

But last month, I cooked lima beans and gave JD about 2 tablespoons with his dinner. 

The next morning, his poop was the same as always.Ditto the evening poop. 

But on the morning of the second day after he'd eaten them, there were lima beans in JD's poop. 

Now, the fact that the lima beans had passed through undigested was not a surprise. That's par for the course, because dogs can't digest plant cellulose. (People aren't very good at it either.) 

But the fact that the lima beans showed up in the poop about 40 hours after he'd eaten them, and that he'd had 2 normal poops in between, did surprise me. 

I tried it again this past week, and same thing.

It seems to me that in the past, they would have appeared in the next morning's poop. But I don't really remember. 

I think maybe JD's food is taking much longer to pass through his system than is normal, due to the IBD, and maybe all the meds. 

But I thought it would be interesting and maybe informative to see how long it takes food to pass through a healthy dog's GI tract. So JD and I are looking for volunteers to participate in our Lima Bean Challenge experiment. 

The LB Challenge is open to all dogs over 8 months old who do not have any current digestive issues, who do not free feed (food is eaten at regular set mealtimes), and whose owners are willing & able to immediately inspect all poops from the time the dog eats the lima beans until said beans exit the premises.

Here's all you have to do. Over the next week, cook some lima beans (we use frozen baby limas). Set aside a small portion (1-2 tablespoons per dog) before adding butter, salt, or seasoning. Let them cool sufficiently and then add them to your dog's dinner. Make a note of the day and time that your dog ate the beans. 

Then watch the poop. Make a note of each subsequent poop (day & time) in which the beans do not appear. I do not think there will be more than one, if that, but that's the point of this experiment. And then when the beans do show up, post your data here. I'd like all results by next Sunday, June 29th, please.

Yes, this is very unscientific and maybe silly, but you will be helping me & JD, and we might all learn something besides. :)

Do I have any participants? 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Its been 44 1/2 hours for Lucy and still no sign of lima beans in this mornings poo. She was watching me very carefully while I inspected the delivery..Lol!  Does that mean she digested them or maybe just chewed them up really small?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I woke up this a.m. thinking that maybe JD's beans come out whole because of his digestive disease, and that none of the rest of you are going to see beans. It does sound like some of the dogs are able to digest them.  From what I've read, legumes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber; the insoluble fiber is mostly in the "skin" or covering of the bean. So maybe most of the dogs will be able to digest them, and you are all inspecting poop for nothing, lol. 

Lori, I'd say if you don't see them by tonight, Lucy did digest them. :)

 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Well, I feel I  must say "thank you" for the opportunity to amuse you! Lol!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, I do hope somebody besides me gets something out of this! But it might also be helping me help JD, and you know we appreciate that! 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

We had fun (sort of). Made things more interesting around here anyway. DH was on poo alert when I was not at home for a short time last night. He said he was too nervous so he decided to just not let them out. Lol! And of course, we would do anything to help out JD!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, your poor DH! Reminds me of the time my GS swallowed a quarter (yes, he really did; the ER staff didn't believe it, but there it was on the X-ray) and I was baby-sitting during poop watch. I kept really hoping his mom would come home before "that" diaper arrived, but no such luck. :D

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Wow a quarter is really big to go thru such small little openings!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, that's why the ER staff doubted that he'd swallowed a quarter. They told us after the fact that it should have sealed off the airway and sent him into immediate respiratory distress. They kept saying "No, he didn't swallow a quarter. A dime, maybe" and then they came in with the X-rays and stunned looks on their faces, and told us (like it was news) "He swallowed a quarter!" LOL

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Im guessing the opposite is also true. It could have sealed off the other end and really been a disaster!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think the other end has a bit more flexibility, lol. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

My brother did the same when we were kids.... Boys! Sheesh.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Well, we also can't control for the fact that some dogs are "hoovers" and some actually chew their food ;)

Whenever Luna is having trouble and her kibble comes back up it's pretty clear she is a "hoover" lol.